This just in from Mayor Setti Warren’s office…
On Day after Vote, Mayor Thanks Residents, Begins Work on Components of Override Package
Standing alongside Superintendent of Schools David Fleishman and other city leadership, Mayor Setti Warren today thanked the residents of Newton for approving all three ballot questions on yesterday’s override election, and announced that work has already begun on the implementation of the work included in the package.
“Since taking office in 2010, we have worked tirelessly to deliver quality services in a fiscally responsible way, cutting costs where we can and investing where we must,” Mayor Warren said.
“I want to thank the residents of Newton for making the decision to invest in Newton’s most critical needs in education, public safety and infrastructure. Mayor Warren added. “Now we must work together as a community to ensure that we implement each of the components included in the override package in the most efficient manner possible.”
“On behalf of the entire school system I am grateful for the support of the Newton residents,” Superintendent Fleishman said. “I am truly excited for the opportunities that the override will provide to our faculty, staff and students. It will allow us to immediately add teachers and staff at all levels to serve our growing population and begin to address both our facilities and space needs.”
When he announced the override package last fall, Mayor Warren also announced an expansion of tax assistance programs for eligible seniors and veterans. A staff person at City Hall has also been designated to help residents concerned about their ability to pay. If you are in need of assistance, you may call Meghan Kennedy at 617-796-1282
And here’s a letter David Fleishman sent to parents…
Dear Newton Community:
As many of you already know, all three override questions were approved by Newton voters yesterday. I know I speak for our entire system when I say we are grateful to the Newton residents for their support of the Newton Public Schools.
I am truly excited for the opportunities that the override will provide to our students and staff. It will allow us to immediately add educators at all levels to serve our growing population and begin to address both our facilities and space needs. Below are some examples of what the benefits will be to our students:
Additional teachers and staff at the elementary, middle and high school levels will be added to serve our growing population and to reduce some existing large classes at several schools.
Three brand new or fully renovated elementary schools (Angier, Cabot and Zervas) will provide not only top-notch facilities but badly needed classroom space. In the fall of 2014, Angier students will move to a newly renovated Carr School, where they will spend two years before returning to a brand new Angier School. We will have more details on both Cabot and Zervas in the near future.
Brand new modular classrooms will be added this fall at several elementary schools, including Bowen, Mason-Rice, Horace Mann and Burr. These classrooms will ensure that there will be reasonable class sizes at the elementary level.
It was a great pleasure answering many questions from parents and community members during the numerous town and school meetings that we held over the past several months. Newton is a city full of highly engaged citizens and I appreciate the value that is placed on public education. I also want to extend a special thanks to the Mayor and School Committee for their tireless efforts during the override process.
Next Monday night, March 18, 2013, I will be presenting the specifics of the proposed FY14 budget to the School Committee which will include more details of how we intend to use the override funding. We will be certain to provide more information on the budget in the coming days and welcome your input during the process.
Sincerely,
David Fleishman
Superintendent of Schools
Newton Public Schools 100 Walnut Street Newton, MA 02460
This celebratory email I rec’d as parent of school child just reminded me that my daughter was in high school during last override in 2002.
After that override, despite promises to contrary, during the following three years, her books were still tape-bound, the classrooms were still overcrowded, the maintenance was still deferred, programs were cut.
Not a SINGLE thing changed or was improved. I don’t expect anything to change this time either. Would love to be proven wrong.
I have to say the celebratory tone I’ve witnessed from some folks — not from our public officials who’ve been pitch perfect — does feel a bit awkward.
I understand that a small army of citizens worked hard and deserve to feel good about their efforts
I agree that this was really important and needed.
But all the high-fives about having just raised our taxes fee is well, as I said, awkward.
Mark, last I checked, Greg’s group voted 19-3 to support these three tax hikes. So why exactly does he think that this is awkward. I thought they got what they wanted.
Where have the high 5’s been happening? I’m not asking that sarcastically, but I was at work today so I didn’t have a chance to be out and about, and am wondering where it’s going on. I spoke with just 4 people at school who knew that I was involved in the campaign and they approached me very quietly in private.
I supported all three override questions and did poll watching and letter writing for the yes side. I’ve been totally elated on some election nights, most recently when President Obama, Elizabeth Warren and Joe Kennedy coasted to big victories last November. This wasn’t anything like that.
I felt relieved that these questions passed, but I was hardly elated. I wasn’t giving high 5 signs to anyone last evening or this morning. This is going to be an added burden for more than a few families and homeowners here. I never tried to downplay this reality and I never ran into any other override supporter that did either. But I felt the consequences of rejecting these measures would be greater than the burden on homeowners from passing it. I think this is pretty much what the Mayor said when campaigning for this override.
Well said, Bob. Since the recession hit, most people in Newton have experienced a reality check. Our “new normal” is not what it was 10 years ago. As someone who saw very little change in how our city and school system operated after the last override, I am hoping that this administration and NPS will not rest on its laurels. We need to get past buildings and onto education — not just education– excellent education.. As someone who has been a parent during a decade of slow cuts, neglect, overcrowding, high class sizes, broken boilers, leaky windows, lotteries for honors programs and general decline; I would like to see an institutional recommitment to excellence. Natick has 1:1 computing. Brookline has elementary world languages and a gifted and talented program. Reading and Burlington have phenomenal technology. Progressive school systems are looking at extending learning time, increasing early ed, mandating real full day kindergarten and connecting schools with after school programs. Newton is still sending kids home to their mommies half day on Tuesday, even though most of the mommies are working overtime. Despite the economy and similar challenges, other school systems have moved forward while ours has regressed. Will the new budget just be about maintaining the same service level we’ve had through the declines of the last 10 years? Or will it make us competitive with Brookline?
I’m glad Greg brought up the awkwardness of being happy that tax rates have gone up. However I agree with others that it has been fairly muted from what I’ve seen, much more so than I was expecting. One of the few awkward comments — and it was pretty minor — was Gail’s congratulations and “party on!” to the BNF folks, along with the excited “All override questions pass!” headline. I suspect it was driven mostly by the results having just come in.
I can understand how the celebrations seem awkward and I want to explain my headline, “All override questions pass!” followed by the congratulatory note and “party on” comment.
As a journalist who loves elections, I was excited to watch the results come in and to be able post a headline with the final results. I voted for the overrides but had they lost, I would have written, “All override questions lose!” I would also have congratulated MNF. I do think my “party on” comment was inappropriate and I regret writing it. I knew that BNF was holding a party — whether they won or lost — and that was why I wrote that comment.
However, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with people who worked really hard for several months congratulating each other for their victory, even if it means a few high-fives.
In case there is any confusion, I want to make it clear that I did not work on the override campaign.
Only in Newton would people cheer and say “party on!” when having their taxes raised. To me, it’s counter-intuitive to sensible reasoning. Now the Warren administration has to perform with this considerable influx of funding!
Who will oversee this? Do we trust our elected representatives on the Board of Aldermen? Hmmm… How about a citizen’s watchdog [advisory] group?
I posted “yay”, although it will be a hit for me and I voted against the last one – because we need to replace Angier and Cabot.
Unfortunately Karen writes the real truth about Newton schools. Although city revenues will increase with these very large tax increases all this additional money is earmarked for specific project costs. So do not expect any fundamental changes in school policy. As these new schools are built hold your breath and don’t panic too much as you see the costs escalate well above expected totals. Simply remember that Setti and the SC were not fully transparent about the real financial state of our city’s fiscal debt. This alone enabled the yes voters to support very high tax increases.
Not only should no one celebrate this election; but there ought to be grave concern for the future health of Newton’s economic well being.
I think Mark will be proven correct. The DE overrides will probably do what they were supposed to do, because there’s no alternative. They may cost us more ultimately, since they had no dollar figure attached to them, but we will probably get a new Angier and a new Cabot.
Watch the dollars in the general override. It’s easy in a budget of over $300 million to lost track of $8 million. I suspect you’ll see some of what was promised, but tracking it year after year into the future will be difficult. Expect higher salaries and more pension and health care money for city employees. The general override was a mistake, but we’ll forget it soon. Only a few people like Mark can keep us grounded as to what administrations really do with the money. It will be politics as usual.
The post election gathering lasted about an hour, less for many people, and a lot of people just went home to bed in exhaustion after watching the returns. The restaurant was very crowded during that time so it probably was noisier than usual. Trust me, no one in this group had the energy for a high-fiving, rowdy party at 9:30 on Tuesday evening. So Greg and Gail must have seen it happening elsewhere. Where, I don’t know and they haven’t said.
Gail, with regards to “I want to make it clear that I did not work on the override campaign.”
No, you just provided aid and comfort for it with a guest column in the Newton TAB.
http://www.wickedlocal.com/newton/news/x1781247560/Gail-Spector-Its-time-to-get-over-Newton-North#axzz2Fh2sfAEO
Joshua,
Expressing an opinion is not the same as working on a campaign.
Jane,
I haven’t seen anyone besides my six-year-old nephew high-five in weeks and did not mean to imply that I had.
Setti’s little speech is could have been played back from many other stock political speeches. Not too exciting.
By the way, Joshua, do you know what percentage of Newton’s annual budget used to go to schools before this, and with the new money going to Angier, Cabot, supposedly Zervas, additional teachers, some other school things, etc., what percentage of our property tax dollar will support the schools in Newton?
Barry, Setti’s February Guest Column in the Newton TAB was quite similar to his October 2012 column.
Here’s the breakdown of the 2013 Newton Budget
Category % of Total Budget
Newton Public Schools 57.12%
Municipal 27.08%
Debt Service (mostly NNHS) 5.20%
Pensions/OPEB 8.43%
State & County Assessments 1.87%
Workers Compensation 0.30%
Total Budget 100.00%
http://www.newtonma.gov/civicax/filebank/documents/43319
Over the next five years, the money raised by the three extravagantly expensive property tax overrides will help underwrite more of what we’re spending money on already which is compensation and debt service.
Here’s the breakdown of the 2014 Newton Budget
Category % of Total Budget
Newton Public Schools 56.40%
Municipal 26.65%
Debt Service (mostly NNHS) 6.23%
Pensions/OPEB 8.61%
State & County Assessments 1.81%
Workers Compensation 0.30%
Total Budget 100.00%
Here’s the breakdown of the 2018 Newton Budget
Category % of Total Budget
Newton Public Schools 56.34%
Municipal 25.37%
Debt Service (mostly NNHS) 6.11%
Pensions/OPEB 10.18%
State & County Assessments 1.74%
Workers Compensation 0.26%
Total Budget 100.00%
Thanks, Joshua.
I’m not sure what it means. I thought with so much new money going to the schools that the already high percentage of the budget consumed by the schools would become greater.
by the way, Greg, is there any way to get Setti’s useless speech to not play when this blog is opened? Usually, you have to start a video. This seems to play automatically, and as boring as it was the first time, it’s infinitely more boring as you hear it repeated.
Unfortunately this appears to be the only way the Patch video player works. It has been removed.
Barry, I think I should have taken the amount that went to Pensions/OPEB and Debt Service and found a way to apportion it to the School Department.
If you refer to the Comprehensive Audited Financial Reports, they do a better job of apportioning capital expenses, depreciation and retirement benefits to the city departments and cost center units so in future reports, you’ll be able to see the steadily growing share of the city revenues and expenditures going to the school system.
http://www.newtonma.gov/gov/comptroller/audrep.asp
Gail, WRT “Expressing an opinion is not the same as working on a campaign.”
You didn’t have to, others did it for you. Others took your opinion and used it to amplify their campaign.
To be honest with you all, I was surprised that I found myself in the midst of taking an active position in the anti-override campaign, much less taking the high profile role that I did.
I will say that I don’t think anyone on this planet could have put together what I put together for the anti-override campaign in the short period of time I had to work with.
Am I the only one who knows, shows or cares that the tax hikers got 13% less votes than last time even with the addition of Fahey, Seideman and Norton to their little troupe? Or did adding those three serve to hobble the GOTV efforts of the override opponents? I would think that the late start by the override opponents did more on that score.
Wow. Somebody seems to have a pretty bad case of “smartest guy in the room” syndrome.
Ding. Ding. Tricia wins the “Best comment of the week award.”
Actually, Joshua, probably nobody went back and compared totals. Now that I look, I think that it’s an interesting observation.
One conclusion is simply that fewer people turned out because there was more emotion about the last override as a result of NNHS. This was more like a typical off-cycle election. Even when Setti beat Ruth, there was only a total of 22,000 votes. For president, Newton turned out about 45,000 votes. That’s why it was good strategy to have an election where only that was on the ballot. It’s easier to sway the count with self-interest.
The anti-override vote in 2008 had a lot of NO energy, and people turned out. This one had less NO energy, because people had no anger, and thought the total tax penalty was not that high, and so didn’t bother to vote, as typical. But the YES energy was stimulated by the fact that so many people’s self-interest was on the line. Certainly Angier, Cabot and Zervas parents had it. But, because the general override promised so much, even if your special interest was only a small part of it, you went out and voted for it, as people I know did. It’s a good strategy to seem to give so many people something. Even with all the YES energy and a lot of NO apathy, the win totals were low, and the win percentage really wasn’t high.
Now the people need to watch that $8+ million a year and see if Setti delivers what he promised, or if, as Mark pointed out, you look back in a few years and still need what you thought you would get by voting for this override.
Barry, on Monday night Superintendent David Fleishman will present to the School Committee a preliminary budget for FY 13-14. The budget will then be reviewed and refined over the coming month before the School Committee votes to approve it. But you will see the impact of Tuesday’s vote in the preliminary budget as it was built with override passage in mind. A different budget would have been presented to us had the override not passed.
By the way I think you nailed the analysis. And I’m just curious — would you mind sharing whether you voted for either of the debt exclusions? If you stated this somewhere else I missed it.
I’m not sure what you mean by I “nailed the analysis”.
I voted YES on the two DE overrides and NO on the general override. Kind of what I had been saying all along.
I assume you voted yes on all of them.
Gail – I think we both knew the high-5 thing was as expression representing a kind of obnoxious behavior, but it’s good to put it to rest.
Tricia and Greg, considering where your comments came from, I might be inclined to take them as a compliment.
Barry, I think the reason why there wasn’t much NO energy was because the NO campaign started so late. But when you consider the fact that the NO campaign got 46% of the vote even though we were only actively involved for 1.5 months, my group and I are hoping that even the most arrogant pro-override tax hiker from Ward 7 would be able to concede that.
As Co-Chairman of Moving Newton Forward with Fiscal Responsibility, I saw a number of things that I would have done differently and I would have my group do differently if we had started on time. And needless to say it will be my responsibility as Research Director to make the necessary adjustments for next time. Maureen Lemieux said we’re doing this thing again in five years and Seideman told me that we can count on Maureen’s word on things like this.
http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/west/2013/03/03/wenewton/msVikZu3JZkagG3z3UghvM/story.html
Barry, correct, I did vote “yes” on all three questions. As I’ve suggested all along, my personal belief is that we will get what the administration suggested for our general override money. Yes, only time will tell.
By “nail the analysis” I mean that I agree with your assessment of the dynamics of this vote.